


Strange Lands, Stranger Hearts

by SMZAuren



Series: Legends of Aeon [2]
Category: Legends of Aeon, Original Work
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alien/Human Relationships, Aliens, Furry, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, M/M, Male Bonding, Male Friendship, Male Homosexuality, Male Protagonist, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Science Fiction, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:49:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28962720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SMZAuren/pseuds/SMZAuren
Series: Legends of Aeon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970002
Kudos: 8





	Strange Lands, Stranger Hearts

“So why do you have to move away?!” Hayley squeaked as tears welled up on his eyes, his flat pink nose twitching rapidly as he struggled to keep himself from breaking out into a bawling fit.

“I… I just have to, okay? I don’t want to leave either! But dad’s making me go to that stupid military school…” Valen bumped his knuckles against the side of his thighs, looking away with a rather dejected look on his face. 

“But why!? I thought we were gonna be friends forever!” The boy cried out in response, clenching his hands and stomping his thumper against the ground in frustration. His tiny fingers gripped the hems of his sleeves tightly, barely peeking over them, as he held whimpered.

“We’re still friends! I’m just going away for a little bit, okay? It’s just…” The boy closed his mouth, still unable to look Hayley in his rosy amethyst eyes. He breathed out slowly, clenching his jaw. This was so difficult for Valen as well.

“Just what!?” Hayley’s words were wrenched out of his throat. His emotions threatened to boil over as he took a step closer to Valen, pressing his soft padded hands against his chest. Valen was his friend, his closest, oldest friend. He was there when no one else had been. He couldn’t remember a time where that human boy wasn’t with him, when he wasn’t near him.

In his heart he could feel a painful, throbbing feeling that just wouldn’t leave. He looked up at Valen, searching for a response in his emerald-green eyes, mouth hanging agape slightly as he softly breathed.

Valen clenched his hands, lowering his head in shame. “My dad… He doesn’t like you. He… He doesn’t want us to be friends anymore,” Valen then raised his head immediately with an expression filled with defiance and determination. “But I do like you!”

Hayley’s sniffling and whimpering stopped near-instantly as he heard Valen’s words. His eyes widened in disbelief. He almost squeaked out in happiness, but the human boy interrupted him.

“You’re my friend, Hayley, my best friend in the whole world-- No, the whole galaxy! So even if I have to leave and go away, I’ll never stop being your friend!”

“Oh… Friends...” His lopped ears drooped. “Um.. You really promise to come back, Valen?” He wiped off his tears and looked up at the human boy with a hopeful expression on his face.

“Yeah, It’s only going to be a few years at most! We’ll see each other again, cross my heart, Hayley. I’ll-- I’ll come visit whenever I can!” He added, giving him the brightest smile he could muster.

“O-okay!” Hayley nodded furiously, before throwing his arms around Valen and hugging him tightly, pawing his back as he rubbed his wet nose over the boy’s chest. Hayley breathed in Valen’s scent deeply as he closed his eyes and smothered himself in his warmth.

Valen embraced the small leporidan boy in return. He felt his cheeks redden a little bit, and he turned his head away from Hayley, embarrassment and sadness stewing inside of him. He really didn’t want to leave. 

Friends forever, that’s what they’d be, even if they weren’t close to each other.

The human boy coughed a little louder and cleared his throat, gently pushing Hayley back, as he tried to keep his own composure, keeping himself from breaking down crying. “I swear we’re gonna hang out just like this when I’m through, okay?”

Hayley sniffled, nodding slowly once more as he wiped off his wet nose. It took the both of them a minute to disentangle themselves from one another, though it was mostly Hayley who had trouble letting go. 

He looked like he was about to cry again, but he didn’t.

“Remember Hayley, men don’t cry! So chin up, alright? Girls cry, cause girls are weak, but we’re strong!”

Valen bumped Hayley on the shoulder slightly with his fist, giving him a sure, lopsided smile.

Hayley chuckled a little, rubbing his reddened eyes with the heels of his palms. “H-haha, yeah…” 

Hayley stared at Valen, pursing his rosy lips and covering his twitching nose with both hands in a rather cute manner as he tried to hide that look of sheer adoration he held for Valen. That human boy had such striking green eyes; an auburn, almost coppery and fiery short hair and a mischievous personality to match. Every day he’d come up and get a new set of scratches and cuts that the both of them would get during their misadventures and antics.

Hayley could only gently smile, the memories bringing a bittersweet feeling.

The two were inseparable.

The leporidan boy felt tears welling up in his eyes again, but he blinked them away and laughed a bit as he held back a whimper. “You… You won’t f-forget about me, will you Valen?”

The boy in question gave him a frown in return. “What kinda best friend do you take me for, huh? Darn it, Hayley! I couldn’t forget your sorry, cry-baby butt if I wanted! I’ll keep you here, forever!” Valen thumped his chest, right above his heart, with a toothy smile on his heart. 

“Now come on, let’s go home. I have to pack up and get my stuff ready for when I leave tomorrow,” He added.

“Can I come with you? You know, help you pack up and stuff…”

“Sorry Lops, you know how my dad gets when you come around… That’s why I called you out here, under the Oak.”

“Oh…”

The leporidan kid nudged his feet together, anxiety creeping up on his heart as he looked down at the ground. He said nothing, but Valen could tell he was still unsettled.

“Uhm… Listen, I know it’s not a lot. But I want you to have this before I go.” Valen mused as he reached for his pendant, five spent bullet casings strung together. He lifted it over his head and held it by its rusted chain in front of him.

“Wh-- You’re giving me your grandpa’s charm?! I can’t!” Hayley cried, shaking his head as his cheeks began to redden up again.

“Where I’m going I won’t need that thing, I’ll shoot plenty of guns myself!” Valen reassured him.

“But I thought that was a really old family heirloom thing! They don’t have guns that shoot things like those anymore!” 

“Oh shut up and take it, you wuss. I’m giving to you because you’re gonna need it more than I will!” He explained, huffing as he tossed the pendant at Hayley. “That and uh… It’s a token of my.. Erm… Our friendship. Mhm!”

“...Oh.” Hayley screamed out internally with girlish glee.

“W-well put it on now!” Valen urged him.

As Hayley slipped the pendant over his head, he looked up at Valen nervously. “How do I look?”

“It fits you!”

_ ‘Eeee!’  _ Hayley cried internally again.

“Makes you look manlier!” Valen grinned.

_ ‘Mmrh.’  _ The leporidan boy groaned. Valen could be so sweet, and yet so dense at times. “Well, thanks Valen…”

“Yup! Anyways, uh, I have to get going! Dad’s gonna scold me even more if I get home late.” He waved the boy goodbye as he started to leave the tree’s shade, taking the first steps towards home.

Hayley soon stopped him, however, as he called out for him.

“Valen, wait! I-... I have something for you too!” He yelled.

“What is it?”

“Close your eyes and I’ll give it to you, dummy.”

“Aw, this again? Okay.”

Valen closed his eyes and folded his arms, waiting for Hayley’s gift. He tapped his foot on the grassy ground with impatience, raising an eyebrow as he thought of what Hayley might give him. A keepsake perhaps?

The wind blew gently, the characteristic cool breeze of a summer day’s afternoon in the southern regions of Belakost. He could hear the trees’ leaves and branches gently swaying in the air, the gentle fragrances of the countryside and the muffled steps of Hayley himself pacing about.

Valen furrowed his brow a little bit as he waited and waited, taking a deep breath.

Then suddenly the waiting came to an end, and for a second he swore he could taste but the sweetest of floral nectars.

Then, as quickly as it happened, it ended.

He stood there in shock, eyes wide open and staring at Hayley in silence. The lop-eared boy trembled in place, his nose twitching rapidly, his cheeks a tomato red and his fuzzy padded fingers pressed against his own soft, pink lips. The leporidan boy did not look back at him, instead gazing far away into the open fields. 

For a second, Valen could see nothing but his best friend before him, a boy more cute and beautiful than any other girl he’d ever seen. For the first time ever he felt heart throb and jump, not because of a thrilling adventure but because the boy in front of him made him feel that way.

What was that feeling? It was so strange, indecipherable even.

He brought up the tips of his fingers to his lips, remembering the soft, velvety and plush feeling of Hayley’s lips on them. Why did he do that?

The wave of confusing emotions built up more and more until they finally washed over his psyche and overwhelmed him and his senses. His cheeks reddened, flush with mixed feelings.

Valen tried to say something but only a skittish ‘meep’ came out. When the realization of what had just happened had finally sunk in, he quickly turned on his heels and dashed back home without saying a single word.

“Valen, wait!” Hayley yelled, reaching outwards into the air. The boy tried to run after him, but he slipped a few steps after and fell flat on the ground.

He felt his heart get strangled, his throat tighten and more tears well up and roll down his fair, white cheeks as he called out again and again for Valen. 

But Valen was no longer there.


End file.
